Exploring this year’s conference theme: Layers Across Time—Preserving a Diverse Western Heritage

This year’s APT Conference “Layers Across Time—Preserving a Diverse Western Heritage,” will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel October 6-9. Founded in 1858 by gold prospectors, Denver experienced its first population boom between 1859 and 1893 due to mining and the arrival of the railroad. During this time Denver grew as a supply town for the mining areas and an agricultural and manufacturing center. Denver continued to grow, albeit slowly, in the first half of the twentieth century. Contributing to that growth in the 1940s was the location of the Denver Federal Center in the Denver suburb of Lakewood.

The next boom occurred during the 1970s and early 80s as a result of many regional and national energy companies locating their headquarters in the city. Several of downtown’s high-rises were constructed during that time. Denver boomed again in the 1990s and the downtown LoDo and Ballpark neighborhoods are excellent examples of historic preservation that took place in that decade. Larimer Square had already been preserved, beginning in the 1960s. All three of these neighborhoods are easily accessible from the conference hotel.

The conference will focus on the many “layers” Colorado and places beyond have experienced throughout history. Examples of Colorado layers include adobe construction, mining structures, National Park architecture and government buildings. 127 abstracts were received, which were submitted on the topics illustrating the Layers Across Time theme. Nine of those were panels and 118 were paper submissions. In addition, students submitted 27 abstracts.

Field sessions include touring the Argo Mine, the McGregor and McGraw Ranches in Rocky Mountain National Park, the federal courthouses in Denver, where sustainable and preservation projects are taking place, and a visit to the Federal Center to see the ice core lab and Bureau of Reclamation Dam projects. Workshops include Foundations and Soils, Concrete and Cast Stone, and Envelope Performance Testing. Other conference activities include the opening reception at the Tivoli Student Center (formerly a brewery) and socials and chapter mixers at local restaurants.

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"It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future."- William Murtagh, Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America

In our increasingly digital age, the face and form of this conversation is transforming. Social media has become a driving and influential force in every aspect of our lives: politics, community, religion, entertainment. It should be no surprise that the preservation field is wholeheartedly embracing social media outlets. A quick internet search of something as simple as "historic preservation blog" resulted in more than 86,000 results.

The Association for Preservation Technology International is pleased to add our voices to this new conversation.

For over forty years, APT has been a leader in preservation technology, providing not only education and technical training opportunities but also providing a social venue for the sharing of experience and knowledge. This blog is a new approach to hosting our part of the conversation between the past and the present, developed around a user-generated dialogue and aimed at promoting interaction and participation.